The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-05
THE MAD SURGEON.
HORRIBLE CHILD BUTCHERIES IN
THE NAME OF SCIENCE.


Mysterious Murders That Terrorized
the People of DEMONSTRATING Ex-
pooure OF Fiendish Cruelty.
From the Chicago Ne,ps.
From time to time, through the years
lS32-:i-4, the citizens of Lyons, France were
Mortified and excited greatly by the discov-
cry of a series of hideouS crimes, the per-
petrators of which baffled all detection
and which seemed as unnatural and
purposeless--the work of sheer diabolism-
as it is possible for any crimes to be. The
victims were in all cases children and
youth of both sexes, ranging in age from
to IA years. In every instance the
startling evidence of the crime was the same,
simply the
NAKED CORPSE OF CHILD
found in the middle of some dark, obscure
street generally, though occasionally it
would be discovered in the midst of a
thoroughfare, where it would seem almost
impossible that it could have been placed
without observation. These CHASTITY discov-
cries were always made near dawn or in the
later hours of the night. In some instances
the little bodies had evidently been cold in
death for several days, but in others they
were still almost warm when picked up. In
all cases the immediate cause of death had
been the same. Some sharp instrument had
been driven through the spinal marrow at
the base of the brain.
But there was another uniformity in the
manner of these horrible deeds, the inexpl-
cablity of which was overwhelming. Every
one of the corpSes had suffered amputation
of some member. Sometimes leg was
gone sometimes an arm, sometimes only
a toe or two, or finger, OF a pair of
them. In all cases the amputations had
evidently been performed by a skilled sur
geon.
Those who studied carefully the phases of
these successive murders observed that the
operations seemed to have been made in
systematic series. Thus, in the summer of
1888 it was observable that every corpse
found had suffered amputation of either the
right or left arm at the elbow joint. There
were seven that had been thus multilated
In the autumn of that year the joints
operated upon were all knees-and there
were nine of them, In 1882 there had been
no operations upon joints, but three ampu-
tations of thighs; five of upper arms and
eight of fore-arms attested the industry of
the tiend engaged in this awful butchery 1t
was generally understood that this must all
be
THE WORK OF A MApMAN,
but whoever he was, so cunningly did he
conceal himself that his identity was not
even suspected. His victims belonged to all
classes of society, and in no instance was
there any thing to encourage the suspicion
that the crime had been perpetrated for
any other purpose than passion for operat-
ing upon living body, with the SUBSEQUENT
disposition of the subject in the most con
venient fashion by death and tossing away
as worthless carrion when the operation was
over.
The physicians and surgeons of Lyons,
alarmed by the manifest growth of a tend |
ency, especially among the lower classes, to |
view them ell with suspicion theoretically |
exerted themselves to unearth the mysteri- |
Ously hidden brother professional whose re-
voting crimes thus endangered them all
for no one could doubt that s(illful hands |
had done these bloody deeds. They offered |
reward of 100000 forms for the assassin
DR.. Auguste Desmard, a physician Of high |
standing whose only professional fault was
that he had such horror of blood that he |
never could be induced to perform a capital
operation, or even to assist at one-headed |
the subscription of that great reward with |
the sum of $4,000 forms. DR.. Gottfried
Dumreicher, a German surgeon of excellent |
reputation, added 10000 tlorins, and DR.. |
Nicolai Vitarbo, an Italian, gave as much
Then the others subscribed in proportion to
their means
The ingenuity of the best detectives of
France was employed, but
ALL IN VAIN
The mysterious butcheries still occurred at
intervals.
Late in the spring of 1885 the murderer's
experimental amputation developed in a
new difection-taking off arms at the
shoulder, and there were no longer the deadly
thrusts in the spinal marrow. The little
victims had simply been allowed to bleed to
death.
By this time not a few physicians had fled
from the city, fearing an outbreak of the
mob at any moment, that might result in
their butchery as suspected persons OF
course each, as he disappeared, was vehe-
mently suspected be being the guilty one,
ana was followed and watched by detectives,
but the innocence of each in turn was de
monstrated by the recurrence of the afro
cities from the scene of which they had
tied. Manifestly, the guilty one felt HIM
self too secure from detection to care for
flight
In the month of June of the year last
mentioned, the veil was lifted and in a most
unexpected and starting way. M. Pierre
Jacquelln, well-to-do silk manufacturer of
Lyons, had the good and i'll fortune to
possess very pretty wife, at least twenty
Years his junior. His fortune was so far
good that she was one OF the prettiest
plumpest, most voluptuous-looking and
lght-hearted of women, who never, in the
slightest degree, troubled herself or him
man growing old sometimes seeks TO beguile
by new attractions, his consciousness of
advancing age. And it was so far i'll, that
Madame Cora Jacquelin fully Unidentified
herself for any shortcomings in his
marital relations toward her by kind re
cciprocations of the very earnest atten
tons of
LOVER NEARER HER OWN AGE.
NJ. Jacquelin more than suspected that
such was the fact. but he was philosophic
and, after due elaboration on the subject
resolved to feign entire Inconsistencies of
wnst was going on, so long as there was no
public scandal TO compel his cognizance An
understanding to that effect, without words
seemed to have been arrived at between him
ana her, and the worthy pair got along
very well together. They had one child
only charming little golden-heired girl
years old, named Florence, who did not at
al resemble him, but he was very fond of
uer Just the same. She looked much like a
very dear old friend of her mammals, an
Italian named Carlo Falini, who had long
Peen "a friend Of the family"
rarlnl was All actor, who had Travelled
hnuch: possessed a great deal of versatility,
nad picked up many novel accomplishments
W tne strange countries he had visited and
"9S remarkably handsome fellow, athletic,
uEle as cat and courageous For eight or